Two Hamilton teens, 13 and 15, charged in ‘multi-jurisdictional crime spree’: police

A Halton Regional Police vehicle is shown in Oakville, Ont., Wednesday, Jan.18, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Richard Buchan

A 13-year-old boy and a 15-year-old boy have been charged following what police described as a “multi-jurisdictional crime spree” involving vehicle thefts in Halton Region and Hamilton.

Halton police said the investigation began after a delivery man had his Toyota SUV stolen on Kempling Lane in Burlington shortly after 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

As the man was making a delivery at a residence, a male suspect who arrived with a second male suspect in a Toyota minivan hopped into the SUV and drove away.

“The driver of the Toyota SUV did not sustain any physical injuries. No weapons were seen or used,” police said.

Shortly after, the minivan, which was determined to have been stolen from Hamilton, was later found abandoned on Bunton Crescent following a single-vehicle crash, police said, adding the suspects fled in the stolen SUV.

Investigators later identified the two suspects and linked them to another vehicle theft in Oakville earlier that morning.

“The victims’ credit cards were taken and used by the suspects at various locations,” police allege.

On Wednesday night, investigators searched a home in Hamilton and arrested the teenage suspects.

Both have been charged with theft of a motor vehicle, possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, theft under $5,000, fraud under $5,000 and failure to stop after an accident.

The 15-year-old is also facing two counts of failure to comply with a release order, while the 13-year-old is facing an additional charge of failure to comply with an undertaking.

The teens cannot be identified under the provision of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.